Thriving 'K-Food': "Ramen Leads the Way"

 First Half Agricultural Food Exports Reach $4.77 Billion

  • Top Export Item: Ramen – Up 32.3% from the Previous Year

The global popularity of K-Food continues to grow, with ramen driving overall export performance.

On the 3rd, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that the export value of agricultural food (K-Food) in the first half of this year reached $4.77 billion, a 6.7% increase compared to the same period last year. The top export destinations for agricultural food products were the United States, China, and Japan. Other regions, such as Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Oceania, recorded double-digit growth rates.

The export value of related industries, including pet food, increased by 0.6% to $1.445 billion compared to the same period last year. Consequently, the total export value of 'K-Food Plus,' which includes both agricultural food and related industries, reached a record high of $6.211 billion, marking a 5.2% increase from the previous year.

Ramen was the most exported item among K-Food products. In the first half of this year, ramen exports amounted to $590 million, up 32.3% from the same period last year. This means that $100 million worth of ramen was exported every month.

China and the United States, the largest markets for Korean ramen, each surpassed $100 million in cumulative exports by the end of last month, driven by the expansion of online channels and large supermarket entries. European exports also steadily increased, exceeding $100 million for the first half of the year.

The U.S. is the fastest-growing market, with a 58% increase in ramen exports. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs attributes this growth to the viral 'fire noodle challenge' on social media and the introduction of various new products tailored to local tastes, accelerating exports.

The highest growth rate compared to last year was seen in processed rice products. These include frozen gimbap, fried rice, tteokbokki, rice drinks, and makgeolli. The first half export value for processed rice products increased by 41.4% to $137 million.

Other top agricultural food export items in the first half of the year included snacks, beverages, ginseng, processed rice products, and kimchi. Processed rice products saw the highest growth rate among these categories.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades (And Probably Charge My Phone): KBO's Next-Gen Stadiums and Digital Shenanigans

Alright, folks, gather 'round! If you've been following my madcap journey through Korea's glorious baseball culture - and frankly, if you haven't, what even *is* your life? - you know we've already tackled everything from the primal roar of the post-game celebrations to the existential dread of picking the right greasy street food. We've done the past, we've done the present. Now, strap in, because we're rocketing straight into the glorious, often confusing, occasionally Wi-Fi-dropping future. Welcome to Part 5 of our KBO travel odyssey, where we're going to dive headfirst into the shiny, new, and increasingly digital world of Korean baseball. Look, I'm not going to lie. My relationship with "the future" is often characterized by me yelling at my smart TV for not understanding what "play the thing with the dragons" means. So, when I hear about "smart stadiums" and "digital fan experiences," a tiny part of m...
Read more

The Land of Lumps and Legends: My Humorous Quest Through Gyeongju, Korea's Ancient Capital

Image
Look, I'm not usually one for museums. My attention span is roughly equivalent to a squirrel on a triple espresso shot, and anything that requires me to stand still and read tiny plaques for more than thirty seconds usually results in me either looking for the nearest exit or wondering if the gift shop sells snacks. So, when someone told me I *had* to visit Gyeongju, the "museum without walls," my immediate internal monologue was a dramatic reenactment of a villain tying a damsel to a train track, except the villain was history and the damsel was my patience. But here's the thing about Korea: it has a way of surprising you. And Gyeongju? It doesn't just surprise you; it wallops you over the head with ancient charm, dusts you off, and then probably offers you a rice cake. This isn't your average historical theme park. This is a place where ancient royalty decided, "You know what? I'm going to be buried right here, under a giant, grassy molehill, and ev...
Read more

My Quest to Conquer Seoul's Public Transport: A Humorous Guide to Not Becoming a Human Pinball

Image
Let's be honest, the moment you step off that plane in Korea, there's an almost immediate sense of impending navigational doom. Or maybe that's just me. I've traveled enough to know that map apps are my personal digital deities, but even the omniscient Google Maps (or its local, more powerful cousins, KakaoMap and Naver Map) can't quite prepare you for the sheer, exhilarating, and often slightly bewildering experience of traversing a Korean city. It's like being dropped into a high-stakes, meticulously choreographed urban ballet, and you, my friend, are the bewildered, slightly sweaty principal dancer, constantly on the verge of tripping over your own feet while everyone else glides with effortless grace. I came to Korea dreaming of ancient palaces and sizzling bibimbap; I stayed to write an ode to the T-Money card, my true travel MVP. The Iron Octopus Beneath Our Feet (and Why It Never Sleeps) First up, the undisputed king, emperor, and benevolent dictator of K...
Read more